Saving The World With Better Straw

ADA Biotech Sdn. Bhd. was established in 2019 with a vision to protect the environment from plastic waste pollution. Committed to producing revolutionary products that completely replace the use of single-use plastics, ADA Biotech’s products are made from low-grade crushed rice and cassava, and sold at very reasonable prices to encourage consumers to usebiodegradable products.

As a company with 60 per cent Bumiputera holding that actively seeks out possible cooperation on funding assistance through investments or grants that can be allocated for the development of green technology projects, namely the manufacturing of biodegradable drinking straws made from safe and edible agricultural waste.

ADA Biotech is always looking to collaborate and franchise their manufacturing technology in various countries so that more people can enjoy its products.

With its strong expertise in management, sales and marketing and production operations, the company uses Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) technology to accelerate the manufacturing of its products. Given the high demand from local and overseas customers, its R&D team plans to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics to strengthen production flow and thus reduce production costs.

ADA Biotech plans to file for product trademark and patent its own IR4.0 production method. Based on data collected, the use of plastic drinking straws worldwide is approximately 1.5 billion pieces each day. As the company’s planned production capacity is 22 million pieces each month, ADA Biotech is only able to meet 0.05% of the worldwide market share, or 0.15% of the entire Southeast Asia.

ADA Biotech is confident that with tremendous growth through partnerships, franchising and original equipment manufacturing (OEM) strategies with other countries, biodegradable straws can be made more accessible to more people around the world.

In addition to the existing ADA biodegradable straws (standard, customised, Boba, Sip, Tetra Pak), the company is planning to develop more biodegradable products such as stirrers, chopsticks, spoons, forks, cups and cup lids, as well as plates.

ADA Biotech hopes to establish cooperation with relevant parties in efforts to develop green technologies jointly that will enhance their ability to produce more non-plastic products that can help protect the environment.

In terms of R&D, the company uses rice husks, palm kernels, and wheat pollard from FGV Holdings Bhd. to experiment with new straw developments, by turning agricultural waste into biodegradable products that can help farmers reduce waste towards creating a circular economy system.

From an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approach, the company collaborates with NGOs (including Turtle Conservation Society, MareCet, and Blu Hope), and companies (such as ZUS Coffee and Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast) that care about the environment to create awareness for the public. These ESG programmes include beach clean-up activities and pop-up booths to provide education and spread awareness on alternative products for plastic.

As one of the pioneers in the industry, ADA Biotech recently bagged first prize in the open category at the Swiss Innovation Challenge ASEAN 21/22, and will have a chance to pitch its products in Switzerland. Through competitions like this, the company hopes to bring Malaysia’s green technologies overseas for more opportunities to expand globally.